Skin Deep
by Lady Sangheili
Summary: The Lone Wanderer continues her quest when she stumbles upon an unlikely friend... Someone she never could have been perpaired for. Everything she once knew will be turned upside down. Rated for possible lemons later, various other sexual situations, and language.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I've gotten so into my Fallout 3 game it's sad really.**

**To my dismay there weren't very many Fawkes love stories. So I guess I'll try my hand at one.**

**This is going along with what I do in my game. No doubt it will be different from yours, just keep that in mind. This occurs after you gain entrance into Little Lamplight on the quest Picking up the Trail. (I speech successed to get in so I haven't saved the kids from paradise falls yet.)**

**...**

It didn't seem real at first. Sure, I'd been exploring all the vaults since discovering their locations at the Citadel. Yes, their little secrets were enough to make my skin crawl, but this? This was a whole different level of wrong.

So far all the other vaults had indeed just been experiments for Vault Tec. But so far the Overseers and perhaps some top researchers in the vaults only had ideas of what the real purposes of Vault Tec. were.

But this? My mind could hardly stomach the very idea. According to the terminal of the Chief Physician they had all been more than aware of what was being done. Human test subjects, radiation, and having to make up outlandish stories to explain the deaths of family members? This was sick.

I walked out of the ruined room still trying to process what I had just read in a daze. The scratchy voice to my left had me letting out a small girly screech, hitting the wall to my right, and reaching for the assault rifle on my back. What I saw made my eyes widen a bit.

There, in a room was a Super Mutant… But… Something was off. The Mutant in question was wearing what was left of his shredded clothes and was unarmed. The weirdest thing about it all was that he wasn't yelling at me about how he was going to use my various body parts to decorate his house.

After a moment of pause he spoke again. "Please, talk to me on the intercom."

I was skeptical to say the least but I'm more curious then cautious and it's served me pretty well so far.

Timidly, I reached over and pushed the button to let him know I was listening.

The urgency in his voice made me jump back a bit. "It can't be! Either you're quite real, or I'm going quite mad!" I blinked. "Could you really be a pure human?"

This day was just getting weirder and weirder by the second… Honestly, I wasn't too sure how to reply. He wasn't trying to attack me, nor was he yelling or cursing at me. Thinking for a bit I decided to play along for the time being. "Yes…" I started cautiously, "I'm human. But what are you?" I already knew what he was but something was beyond off about him.

He was silent for a while. "Me?…" He seemed shocked. "You really care who I am?" I was going to answer but he continued. "Forgive me, I'm not used to pleasantries… I'm more used to grunts and being struck around by the others." The others… I assumed he meant other super mutants… He continued on, "My name's Fawkes. I've lived in this… cage all my life."

I felt pity for him but I was hardly going to let my guard down. I let out a slight snorting breath and replied, "How ironic that the others consider you a mutant of their kind…"

He looked to the side. "Yes, it is indeed ironic…" He looked back to me. "Forgive my astonishment, but I hadn't expected to meet someone with such a learned outlook on these things. It is a pleasant change." His face was just as mutated ats the other Mutants that roamed the Wastelands, his lips were all but gone, and yet… If I didn't know any better I'd almost say he… smiled at me for a moment. Before I could really dwell on it though he turned away from me and said, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, it was only a matter of time before someone like you showed up for the G.E.C.K."

That certainly caught my attention. I steadied my best glare and asked in a chilled voice. "What do you know about the G.E.C.K.?"

Apparently, he was hoping for a reaction like this. That odd look reappeared on his face and he answered. "I know what it is, I know where it is, and best of all: I know how you can get your hands on it."

I shifted unsure how to proceed from here. On one hand I could choose to trust this Mutant and he can get the G.E.C.K. for me… But on the other hand I trust the Mutant and he kills me the second I turn my back… "Why would you help me?" I asked through narrowed eyes.

He looked down. "Because, you can help me.." A split second later he had one hand pressed up against the glass to his cell, looking at me with what I could only describe as desperate eyes. "Let me out of this place! I can't take it anymore!" His urgency again made me flinch but he pressed on. "I can't even recall how long I've been in here." He lowered his hand. "Take me with you, and I'll retrieve the G.E.C.K. for you."

The look in his eye… Fear. There was no mistaking it. The Muta… Fawkes… Was scared. Or maybe just desperate… It sent and off pang through my stomach but I pointedly ignored it and asked, "Why would I have difficulty getting the G.E.C.K.?"

The look diminished from his eyes, well, partly anyway, "The chamber in which the G.E.C.K. resides is absolutely flooded with radiation. It's unlikely you'd survive very long." That odd look returned yet again to his face. "Myself, on the other hand, have surprisingly inherited a useful trait from my fellow Meta humans. I am highly resistant to radiation." He exhaled and stared into my eyes. "Let me out of here and I will place the G.E.C.K. safely in your hands."

I wanted to trust him, I really did… I'd done my best to be as good and helpful to anyone I could out in the wastes and so far it's served me pretty well. But when I go look for captives to recuse it's always Super Mutants… Sometimes I don't make it in time… I've seen my fair share of mutilated humans. So I quickly learned that the only good Super Mutant is a dead Super Mutant. Needless to say it was hard to simply just trust this one.

I crossed my arms and asked. "How do I know you won't run the second I let you out?" I felt so bad for asking but couldn't figure out why. I shoved it aside and waited for his response.

He looked down trying to think the answered softly, "There's no way to prove it… You'll just have to take my word for it." He looked back up, almost looking dangerous. "I've already helped you by warning you about the radiation. Take that as a gesture of good faith." He placed his hand back on the glass, looking more than hopeful. "So… What do you say?"

I was scared. I was more than certain I could handle and unarmed Mutant if he decided to turn on me… but I had to admit: the thought of befriending a friendly Super Mutant was more than exciting. "Alright, Fawkes. You've got a deal." I said with a smile.

"I'm glad to see you are a sensible person." He took a step back from the glass. "Now, get me out of this place. I can't stand it anymore!"

He seemed like he really wanted to leave but I couldn't ignore the nagging question. He seemed to know a lot more than I wanted to give him credit for. I wanted to know just how much. "Do you know what the G.E.C.K. does?"

His eyes narrowed a bit. "We can discuss this later. Right now, concentrate on getting this door open." He raised his voice a bit at the end.

I sighed and put a hand on my hip. "Tell me how I can get you out of that room."

"At the end of the hallway to your right, there is a maintenance room." He pointed to my right and I looked down the hall. "Inside you'll find the fire control for the medical area. Trip the alarm on it and I'll be able to get out." I looked back to him. "A word of warning though. Tripping the console activates a failsafe and will open ALL the recovery rooms in the medical area."

I nodded, nothing so far had been simple, why start now? "What do I do once I trip the fire control console?" I noticed on my Pipboy that there were a few enemies in the other rooms. I was in for a fight…

"I'll stay here until you clear a path to me." I nodded. "Just be careful!" I felt myself freeze. "Some of these 'failed experiments' are quite nasty."

I looked into his face. He warned me to be careful? Was he worried? I shook my head and stared down the other hall. "I have to go now. Wait here."

From behind me I could hear him call to me. "It is my hope that we will speak again soon."

…

**AN: I will write this as I play the game from here on.**


	2. Chapter 2

I clenched my teeth together so tightly it made my gums hurt. Propping myself against the wall I let my shotgun clatter to the ground noisily. Though at the moment I wasn't too worried about who or what heard the noise. The fire alarm blared loudly to the dismay of my oncoming headache. I glanced to the ground a few feet from where my gun landed. The body of a man named Sid lay there unmoving.

I had passed by him in his cell and once I had finished the Super Mutants guarding the maintenance room I checked on him first. He immediately proceeded to attack me. I had no choice but to defend myself. I made sure it was quick but the encounter had left me quite shaky.

Feeling more than down-hearted I made my way back down the hallway to where Fawkes waited. I rounded the corner just as he exited his cell, holding a Supersledge tightly in his hands. The sight had me on edge but I felt a bit too hollow to really dwell on it.

Walking up to him he turned to me and spoke. "Finally…. Freedom!" He roared. His loudness startled me into a more upright position. "True freedom!" He continued to yell, letting out a few quick, hearty laughs. "I cannot thank you enough for this gift. You have no idea how long I've pictured this moment in my mind…. And it feels far better than I ever imagined." He was quite happy. That much was obvious. I couldn't help the small weary smile that crept to my lips. "Now, for my end of the bargain." He turned down the left hall, the one I had cleared beforehand. "Follow me."

With that he turned and began walking off. I followed shortly after. As we walked I couldn't help but to examine him. His vault jacket was little more than shreds clinging to his muscular frame in shambles. His pants and boots looked a bit tight but at least he was covered. Like any other Super Mutant he was bulky, and made a lot of noise as he walked.

I couldn't stop the torrent of questions that flooded my mind. So as we entered the first room at the top of the stairs I spoke up. "Um… Fawkes?"

He stopped and spun on his heels. "What did you need?" He seemed friendly enough…

Taking a calming breath I asked. "Do you know what the G.E.C.K. does?"

His head tilted to the side slightly but he replied. "Some say it does nothing; that it's simply a pipe dream or a legend. Others feel the device is quite beneficial." He walked off to the side a bit. "The latter of the group claims it creates life where none exists. A new beginning for man." He turned back to me, looking down sharply to meet my eyes. "Some of the vaults came equipped with them so after people emerged into the Wasteland, they could restart the world." Walking up to me I had to crane my head back to keep eye contact with him. After a moment of thought he finished with, "I'm not sure which to believe…"

I wanted to know more about the G.E.C.K. but something about him had me wanting to ask about him personally. I decided to try a friendly approach. "So… Tell me about yourself Fawkes."

The look in his eye said there was quite a story to him. "I was born here, in this place. I don't mean that in the literal sense of course. All I can remember is excruciating pain as my body went through the rapid change of my mutation. For most, this moment is what severs the grip on their minds. They become barely a shell of their former selves." He looked away. "I was different. When I spoke to them they immediately branded me as 'another failure' and had me placed here as a curiosity." He finished angrily.

The pity I felt before welled up again. I felt my eyebrows crease with it. "So, you've been stuck in that cell ever since?"

"Yes, I've never been anywhere else. I used to mark the passage of time, but after a few years, it didn't seem to matter anymore." He shrugged. "The only thing that kept me from going insane was the working access point to the vault mainframe in my makeshift cell."

I tilted my head to the side. "How did you become so… Articulate?"

"The terminal in my cell used to connect to vault 87's mainframe. This gave me access to history, literature, science, and fiction book files. I used this extensive database of works to better myself and my understanding of everything around me. It was only recently the others caught me using the terminal and destroyed it to torment me!" He raised his voice to punctuate his point and I once again flinched at the suddenness of it.

I attempted to change the subject. "Do you remember who you were?"

He seemed to calm enough to answer. "I don't remember enough to tell you everything about my former self. My metamorphosis destroyed a good deal of my long term memory. However, I can recall being in this place when it wasn't the macabre laboratory it has become. I remember walking around this place and seeing other humans in white lab coats and blue jumpsuits." He sighed. "I wish I could find out more, but personal information wasn't in the vault's mainframe for some reason." His fists clenched. I feel like my memory is so close to me… I can almost see myself as a human but can't recollect the details. It's maddening!"

Note to self: Choose my questions carefully. So far Fawkes hadn't given me a reason not to trust him but it would seem at times he didn't have a full grasp on his temper. I decided to just ask about the vault itself. "How do you know the layout of this place?"

"These… These hallways are familiar to me… I think I used to be a resident here, in better times. I wish I could remember more, but I'm afraid it's all a blur." He looked down the hall that we were headed. "As for the G.E.C.K., it's always rested where it does now. The foolish Super Mutants don't even know what they have."

He certainly had a lot to say for himself… "You have quite an unusual name." I ventured.

"He looked back to me. "It was taken from a historical entry in the computer. The name came from a man who was willing to fight and die for what he believed in." He let out a short laugh. "I felt it was appropriate given my circumstances."

I agreed, but I felt that I had been stalling long enough. "Let's continue on." He nodded his agreement and he turned again and led the way.

The rest of the walk was silent, and I found myself following closely behind him. Funny, that given who he was; what he was, I still found comfort in being with him. I guess I never realized how lonely I was until I actually found some company…

When we arrived to the irradiated chamber he turned to me and said. "Okay. You stay here. Beyond this door the halls and chambers are flooded with radiation. I'll get the case and bring it right back. Keep your eyes open! Many of my lesser-minded brethren are bound to stumble across us." And with that he was gone. Into the halls I couldn't follow…

Odd how I found myself worrying about him… at that silly realization I blinked. Worried? Me? That was silly… I only just met the guy for crying out loud.

However, before I really had to dwell on my worry Fawkes came back to my view with a tiny (compared to him anyway) case in his hands. He came right up to me and in a less than enthusiastic voice said. "Here's the G.E.C.K. Our bargain is complete…" I took it gently and looked at the case closely. "I hope it's worth it." I looked back up to him. "Well, I'm afraid this is where you and I part company. I'll find my way out of this place, don't worry." My arms lowered, the small device suddenly feeling heavy in my arms. "Maybe, we'll meet again somewhere in the Wasteland."

And that was it. He walked past me and leaned against the wall. I glanced at the small suitcase in my hand and back to him. He noticed my stare and asked almost rudely: "What is it?"

I flinched back a bit and asked in a tiny voice. "You can't come with me?"

He looked away, a bitter expression plastered on his face. "Sorry, I'm afraid a Super Mutant wouldn't be welcome in the places you frequent. All I would do is cause you unwanted attention and…" He stopped and looked at the ground with what looked like anger. "Probably get you killed…"

An awkward silence passed between us. I couldn't lie to myself. I was sad that I had to just leave him on his own. I shouldn't have been surprised really. My bleeding heart made me famous in the Wasteland. Some saw me as a hero, others an opportunity. I would help anyone who needed or asked. But Fawkes was different. A lot of people in the Wastes owed me a great deal. If I pushed hard enough I could try and find him at least a place to call home… But maybe he was right. He looked more than capable of taking care of himself… With a heavy heart I turned toward my exit. "I'll be going now." I said softly and began walking off.

His scratchy voice rang through the hall. "Farewell, my friend. I suspect we may meet again."

…

I was sad… And I felt pretty stupid for it too. I had even ran into a wall being so deep into my own silly thoughts. I was racking my brain for a solution, a place for Fawkes to be safe. There had to be something I could do for the guy. He could hardly live among humans… And if he tried to live with other Super Mutants I assumed he'd find no peace there.

I walked onto the large room just before the recovery rooms when a small clicking sound at my feet brought me back to reality.

If only for a moment anyway…

A flash of blue light, then a blinding white light, had my knees, as well as most of my other extremities giving out. I was only faintly aware that I was not alone in the room.

Two armored men calmly walked into the room. Men in Enclave armor… I felt my blood boil but I couldn't find the strength to draw my weapon. They took up positions on either side of me and the one to my left said "Objective is secured sir."

Objective… It was getting hard to concentrate. Footsteps from my right had me glance to the door again. A man in a tan trench coat calmly walked up to me and knelt to my level. "Good work solider." His voice and looks had my skin crawling… This man was not good news. If my failing consciousness was any indication… "Make sure the G.E.C.K. is secured aboard my veribird-" What..? Now it was getting hard to understand them… Not good.

"Yes, sir. We'll have the techs come down and remove it immediately, sir." Replied the first solider.

The creepy spoke up again. "You're certain she's unharmed?"

"Yes sir. She'll pass out shortly but we can revive her." Answered the solider. My head was swimming at this point, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get my limbs to respond. I was beyond panicking now.

"Excellent." I forced my eyes to stay open as he talked in the annoying drawl of his. "Prepare her for transport immediately."

"Right away, sir!"

With that, the man righted himself and walked off.

It couldn't fight it anymore; the blackness thickened and my world went grey…


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Ah, Valerianus, I expected you to be one of my first reviewers. You have a review on every Fawkes story I've read so far. To ease your worries I'm not going to play-by-play everything that happens in the game. Yes it's going to go along with what I do but just trust me. If it's originality you're worried about then you have nothing to fear. ;)**

…

An odd numbness in my arms was the first feeling to return to me. Shortly after came my sight. Certainly not a sight I really wanted to wake up to. Most of my body seemed unresponsive, whereas that had me panicking a bit something a bit more urgent had my attention: The man in the trench coat was standing in front of me.

In an instant he turned to me and placed his arms behind his back. "So, you're awake." His voice sent chills up my spine. This guy was, defiantly, not good news… "Let's keep this nice and simple. You're going to tell me the code for the Purifier, and you're going to tell me now."

Fuck… What have I gotten myself into now?

Changing the subject I struggled to try and get feeling back into my limbs. "What's going on here?" I asked with a dangerous glare.

He seemed more than happy to answer. "I'll tell you what's going on here. You lost." That made me still. "The good guys won this one, and now we're just wrapping up loose ends. We've got the Purifier, now we just need the code to start it. You're going to give me that code now, and save us all a lot of trouble. Maybe I'll even let you go. So how about it?"

My eyes narrowed. 'The good guys? Since when has killing innocent people made you good?' I was so confused on why he would consider himself good I almost asked that out loud. Taking a calming breath I kept my voice low and cool. "Why do you want this code so badly?"

His eyes narrowed as well, in anger. "You know why. We can't start the Purifier without it. The longer the purifier is isn't running, the more people suffer." He was growing agitated. "Now, I'm getting impatient, dear." The "dear" part made my eye twitch for a moment. "I want that code and I want it now."

I wanted nothing more than to spit in his face. I suppressed the urge though. "I don't know what the code is." I said with venom.

His hand shot out and gripped my jaw tightly. His eyes bore into mine as he hissed. "You LIE."

Before either of us could react further a voice from behind us had him removing his hand quickly and spinning to face some kind of monitor on the wall. "Colonel, I have need of you."

"Mister President, I have no time for other matters. I'll be with you shortly."

A slightly pause. "Now Colonel."

It didn't seem that urgent or demanding but it had the creep deflating and leaving the room without another word beside. "Yes sir."

I watched his exit with narrowed, angry eyes. The moment he was gone the voice on the monitor spoke up again. "Ah, alone at last." I blinked. Was it talking to me? "I do apologize for Colonel Autumn's attitude; he's been under a great deal of stress lately." It paused then continued. "I've no doubt you know who I am, I'm sure you've heard my radio broadcasts… I'd like to have a word with you face-to-face. I think there are a few things you and I should discuss." I said nothing so the voice continued. "You'll find your possessions in the locker near the door, I'll unlock the way for you, and I'll unlock you're restraints as well. I'll be waiting for you in my office. Please don't keep me waiting."

Without warning, whatever was holding me up vanished and I fell to the floor on my knees, hard. The sudden pain that washed through my body was enough to wake my sleeping limbs. Suppressing the urge to whimper I slowly got to my feet and looked around.

I didn't take more than a few seconds to do that as I decided I had more important things to worry about. Like getting the hell out of dodge. Stumbling toward the locker next to the door I opened it and, thankfully, found all my little treasures and weapons safely inside. However, to my dismay I found my rangers armor also inside. Glancing down at myself I was indeed naked. That heated my face to a boil. The fucker had stripped me while I was unconscious! I certainly owed him a punch to the face, or better, a shotgun shell to the face.

Shrugging the garment on I opened the door to my cell and timidly stepped out; and was immediately met with an officer pointing a gun in my direction. Oh yes, a great start to my epic escape…

"Hold it right there." His voice told me he was less than amused. "You're supposed to be in that holding cell. You're not going anywhere!" The jerk didn't even bother to hide his smirk. "There's a full complement of guards in the next room. As soon as I get them you're going back to your cell. In a body bag if necessary."

I wasn't even fully out of the cell and my life was being threatened. Keeping eye contact and showing him my empty hands I stepped out into the hall. "Easy there. Let's calm down. I'm supposed to be here." I was certain he wasn't going to believe me but maybe if I remained calm he wouldn't put holes into my face. That was at least a good start anyway.

His eyes narrowed. "On whose authority? I have no records of that. You're supposed to be in a holding cell."

I lowered my arms just a bit. "The President wants to speak to me in his office." I kept my voice even and cool.

His gun lowered ever so slightly. "What? No one sees the President except Colonel Autumn." Apparently it was only out of shock… "Stand right there while I check this out."

With that he put away his gun and began speaking to another monitor that was placed on the wall next to him. I probably should've listened to what they were saying considering it was about me but oddly enough I could only look at the other cells… Back in vault 87, when I was kidnapped, had Fawkes heard the grenade go off? What if those stupid Enclave soldiers had attacked him? I had no doubt in my mind that they wouldn't hesitate to attack at the first sight of him… What if they had killed him? What if he was in one of these cells?

My worries were silly at the time but I hardly even considered how rationally I was thinking. Here I was being held prisoner and I was fretting over the Super Mutant I had only just met.

A raised voice had me snapping out of my little trance. "I said 'Get going.' The President is waiting for you." The officer seemed a bit more than distressed.

Blinking a few times I nodded and turned on my heels, making my way down the hall. I couldn't stop worrying about Fawkes but a quick glance around made me realize something. If I didn't get out of here I wouldn't be saving either of us. So, on a quick decision I continued to make my way through the unfamiliar fortress.

…

I panted slightly as I wearily made my way up to the two sentry bots. They had made short work of the Enclave soldiers and I had no desire to join them. In their eerie robotic voice they informed me that I was "Green" and that the President would see me now.

My brow dripped with sweat as I walked between them to what I was hoping would be my eventual way out…

…

Sweat continued to drip down my face, but not from physical exertion this time. The so called President Eden was certainly now what I expected to say the least but I was hardly prepared for what he asked of me. This FEV virus… Kill all the mutations in the Wasteland? My mind wandered through everything I had been through in my travels…

Gob…

Roy Phillips… I hardly approved of what he did to the residents of Tenpenny Tower but Bessie and Michael Masters were my friends…

And now I even had a Super Mutant as a friend. Proof that the mutations that ravaged us weren't completely bad. And riding on that little wave of heroism I glared at the monitor. "This has to end, Eden! You need to destroy yourself and this base."

That feeling didn't last for very long. As if the very air around us changed I could certainly hear it in the Presidents voice. "I'm afraid I won't be so easily persuaded. Whatever powers you have over other Wastelanders are ineffective over me."

Well this certainly wasn't going well. Swallowing what little pride I had left I tried a different approach: "You can't be President. You're an abortion of science. You need to die…"

"Really? Do go on."

I deadpanned. Was this robot missing a few circuits? As shocked as I was I wasn't about to let the opportunity pass me. "You aren't programmed for self-awareness. You said so yourself."

If Eden had arms I could imagine him rubbing his chin with one. "This is quite true." His voice seemed thoughtful. "The process was certainly unintended, but shouldn't we all be thankful that I'm here?"

I was running out of options and growing quite desperate. Calling on what control I had in me I asked as calmly as I could. "But how do you know that what you're doing is right?"

"Because, unlike humans, I am infallible."

Quite desperate indeed… "And how do you know you're infallible?" I could detect a waver in my voice. I swallowed softly to try and calm my nerves.

His reply seemed a bit annoyed. "Because I've been programed to be of course."

I was grasping at straws now. "That's circular logic. You know because you know? It makes no sense." I clenched my fists at my sides, not even wanting to take the chance to take a good breath.

He was silent. Maddeningly so in fact. My heartbeat felt so loud I was certain Eden could hear it. "Processing…" His sudden voice made me jump.

Since when had I gotten do jumpy..?

"Internal error detected…" He grew silent again.

I was almost too afraid to be hopeful... "I think you're delusional." I started cautiously. "I think the world would be better off without you."

"Resetting primary memory circuits, please stand by…"

Oddly enough I was getting a bad feeling…

"Perhaps… Perhaps there is a problem." He stammered. I felt my heart give a quick few beats. "I am… I am unsure how to proceed."

I treaded carefully. "Shut yourself down. Shut down this whole place." I said softly, trying to sound thoughtful.

"Processing directive…" I gulped at his pause, feeling unsure again. "New directive accepted." Say what…? "Self-destruct sequence initiated." Really…? "Civilian is advised to remove hazardous FEV material and exit at once."

Just like that…? Had I really won? The small cylinder popped out and I timidly reached for it. Once I had it pulled out the panel retracted and everything grew silent. The monitor was no longer responsive…

I gulped and had to grab onto the railing to steady myself. That was almost bad… Pushing myself off I nodded, I had to find Fawkes, if he was here, and get out of here before the whole place was destroyed.

…

I had finally reached the end of the long tunnel of the Enclave base. I could hardly call it a victory though… I was dripping in blood, both my own and various Enclave soldiers. I could hardly hold myself up anymore. Between the Soldiers, various robots trying to protect me, and even the Deathclaw, I just simply didn't have the strength. My knees felt so weak I could have simply collapsed there rested.

However, I was not a safe distance from what I had no doubt would be a rather big explosion. Not to mention I still had to find out if Fawkes was still in there…

I took a few tired steps forward as the door open and gunfire greeted me. It sounded like more Sentry bots fighting Soldiers. I gave a tired sigh and raised my Laser Rifle. No time to rest yet.

Hobbling forward I topped the small set of stairs that blocked my view of the fight, and abruptly dropped my weapon.

There, doing nothing less than mowing down what was left of the Enclave forces outside with a large Gatling Laser, was Fawkes.

I stared in shock for about 5 more second before a large explosion from behind me rocked my world, literally. The ground shook me to my very core, threatening to topple me and my already non-existent balance. Three more explosions had me lose all sense of direction and I looked up just in time to see one last detonation destroy a fleeing helicopter. The damaged machine swirled out of control and crashed a mere 50 feet in front of me. The resulting explosion disorienting me yet again. So much so in fact that I almost lost my footing.

Before I fell, however, a very warm, very large, hand was placed at my back, steadying me. A quick glance up told me who it was. Fawkes… "My friend!" His voice rang loudly but to my damaged ear drums he sounded normal. "I see I've found you at last! I knew you had survived, and I had hoped to assist in your rescue to repay my debt to you."

I could hardly believe what I was hearing… Fawkes had come to rescue me? The very thought had my mind spinning but I blamed it on the explosions. His hand was still on my back, and even though it was quite warm and I was burning up, it felt rather comforting. I reached to the side and used his arm to try and steady myself. "Fawkes… What are you doing out here?" I didn't even bother to try and mask my shock.

At the time I was watching the ground to try and realign my brain, so I missed the odd wave of emotion that washed over his face. "I saw your capture, and with a little cleverness allowed me to follow your captors." Oddly enough, that statement cleared my head a bit, or at least gave me something to focus on. "I only wish I had arrived sooner to aid in your escape." In my dizzy and obviously distress state I felt oddly giddy about that. Had Fawkes been worried about me? "As I owe you my freedom, I felt it was only fair that I return the favor. After all, I know no-one else in this world."

I felt silly for even letting myself think it was only about me. Of course Fawkes was only interested to repay a debt. I could have slapped myself for being so childish…

And yet…

Before I could even attempt to stop myself I spoke, "I could always use a hand…" My voice punctuated my statement by sounding beyond tired and just downright weary. "Would you like to follow me?" I kept my eyes on the fire that had surrounded the remains of the helicopter, almost afraid of the answer.

He was silent for just a split second then he replied. "My friend. I would be honored to follow a hero such as yourself."

I blinked, feeling every muscle in my body tense up. His voice… he seemed more than happy to help me. Like he really wanted to join me… I stepped away from him to look into his face. That odd smiling expression was on face again. I didn't know what to say. I had been alone since I'd left the vault, and I learned quickly that I was, and would probably remain, alone in this god-forsaken land. And now I would get a companion…

Fawkes spoke for me, breaking me out of my little stupor. "Shall we go?" He asked in his scratchy voice.

I smiled, feeling and indescribable amount of relief. "Yeah, let's go."

And I was able to take about 15 more steps before abruptly feeling my legs give out completely. I expected to feel the hard bite of the pavement form the road we had begun traveling on but instead I found myself falling into something warm and hard, though not quite as hard as asphalt. But I didn't have long to dwell on these thoughts as I slipped into unconsciousness yet again.

…

**AN: And let the adventures begin…**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Sigh… Well, my water heater sprung a leak last week and my summer classes will be starting in a couple of days, so my updates on this story may not be as frequent as I'd like them to be. **

…

Ow… my arm… why did my arm hurt?

My head was swimming and it felt like my brain and eyes were trying to go along for the ride. After a few moments of trying to gain a sense of balance I slowly pried my eyes open.

It was pretty blurry; I could only really make out a few odd shapes and meshed together shades of grey. Eventually, my eyes straightened themselves and I could focus on my surroundings.

A wall. To my left was a wall- I flinched as the odd pain in my right arm flashed through me again. My head slowly turned to the right and the first thing my eyes focused on was the sight of my small arm in a large green hand.

My first reaction was to panic; however, my entire body was in this odd state of numbness, though I could feel something in my blood giving me energy. Blinking a few times, to clear my vision further, I followed the large green hand up an insanely muscular arm to see a Super Mutant with his head turned away from me.

Again, all I wanted to do was panic, but some small voice in the back of my head told me to remain quiet. Maybe the mutant would leave if he thought I was dead… Then my eyes found a tattered 8 on the back of what was left of his shirt and suddenly I remembered.

Fawkes…

That's right... I met him outside of the Enclave fortress. But, what happened after that? Try as I might I couldn't seem to remember.

But where were we now? And what was he doing? Or even better: what exactly had happened after I met up with him?

I opened my mouth to speak, but all that came out was a small cracked shrill. I furrowed my brows at the ridiculous sound but didn't have time to really worry about it as Fawkes turned suddenly and looked at me with wide eyes.

Instantly, his eyes seemed to turn from a look I could only describe as upset, to happy. "My friend!" He, once again, yelled loudly causing my heartbeat to pick up. It didn't last too long though, as his excitement drained away and the worry returned. "Are you alright?" He slowly lowered my held arm to my side.

I paused to consider. 'Good question…' Before I could properly answer that question though, I had to figure out some things. Swallowing a few times, and clearing my throat painfully, I managed to whisper "What happened?"

Fawkes turned the rest of the way, to face me, and I saw a stimpak in his other hand. "You were quite exhausted by your escape that you collapsed shortly after leaving the fortress." He put the unused stimpak down and reached around behind him and pulled out a bottle of purified water.

Glancing down shortly I noticed a couple of needle marks on my arm, stimpak needle marks. Oh… I get it now… Fawkes used some stimpaks on me. It explained why I was already feeling better, but where had he gotten them in such a short time? After a bit more "searching" I realized my pack wasn't on me. He must've used my own stimpaks, and the water must be mine as well.

Watching Fawkes closely, I watched as he used his free hand to cradle the back of my head, lifting it, and putting the bottle to my lips. Normally, I would have protested being babied as I was, and the fact that he was wasting my supplies on myself… but I found none as he helped me drink.

I could feel my pulse quickening and my face heating up at the treatment. He was so big yet he held me as I would a baby. Gently and carefully… His hand was so warm; it calmed the small migraine I'd had since waking up.

But even I would only let certain things go so far… I raised my hand and pushed his arm away. He put the bottle down but continued to watch me. Oddly enough, I couldn't seem to face him. So, looking at my feet I finally answered. "I'm alright…" I glanced around him but could only see more grey walls and some railing. "Where are we?"

He kept his hand on the back of my head to the dismay of my rapidly beating heart. "Some kind of satellite station not too far from the remains of the fortress." Finally, he lowered my head but looked away. I couldn't quite read the look in his eyes. "You… were unconscious, so I carried you here."

There went my pulse again. I felt heat rush to my ears and cheeks. 'He carried me?' I couldn't help the butterflies that attacked my stomach, making me feel giddy. I pushed it all to the back of my mind though. Stupid headache… Making me act all weird…

Using the railing behind me, I started the slow process of getting to my feet. First, sitting up; my head instantly swam and my vision threatened to leave me again. Before any of that happened though I felt a large, warm, hand on my back. Part of me wanted to tell Fawkes to give me some space… But the other part of me kept my mouth shut… So as to avoid further headaches I silently accepted his help and continued. I reached a hand back to grasp the railing behind me and brought one foot under me. Then, with a small grunt, I began lifting myself up. But my arm began shaking violently and I almost crashed back to the floor. However, another large hand grabbed my left arm as the hand on my back wrapped around my waist, supporting me. With Fawkes help I was in an upright position.

I swallowed again to try and calm my raging nerves. Looking behind me I saw stairs leading downward… And a body, a very still body. I gasped and faced Fawkes again. "Who is that!" I asked pointing.

His head followed my finger and I could practically see him deflate. "Those people from the fortress set up some kind of base here." He started softly. "I had to… clear them out before I could tend to you." He turned back to me. "However, it would appear that there was a small settlement of ghouls here before them. They… Took the liberty of clearing them out before we arrived…"

I exhaled feeling terrible. I'd automatically assumed that Fawkes had killed the man... But beside that, the Enclave had been here? Even after I'd destroyed their base? They were certainly persistent, but an entire settlement? Just how many people were we talking here? I let out a shaky breath and asked, "How many..?"

He was silent for a while but I dared not look at his face, too afraid to find the answer in his expression. "Maybe 10… More or less." He answered softly.

I was so not in the mood to deal with the situation further. So I simply pulled away from him and bent to pick up my pack, shrugging it on. Readjusting what was left of my leather armor, I started the slow process of making my way down the winding stair cases.

When I made it to the door I paused. 8. I had counted 8 ghoul bodies and two Enclave scientists among the corpses. Before opening the door I checked my pip-boy to see exactly where I was. The map told me we were currently at SatCom Array NW-07c… And Raven Rock was- Wait what?

I turned to Fawkes. "Fawkes..? Raven Rock, the Enclaves fortress, is quite a distance away… Did you really carry me that far?"

He blinked, looking a bit confused. "Yes? Is something the matter?"

My brows furrowed. "'Something the matter?' of course there is. Carrying someone that far is dangerous. You could've run into a Yao-guai, or a rouge Sentrybot, or worse."

He stared at me for a while, long enough that I started to fidget. When he spoke, at last, it was in that loud, surprising voice of his again. "My friend, I would not have undertaken such a task if I wasn't sure I couldn't handle myself." It was my turn to blink in stupidity. "Besides, who is going to want to take on a Super Mutant anyway? If anyone had seen us, they'd have probably assumed that I had captured you."

I placed my hands on my hips. "And what if someone I knew had seen you and tried to 'rescue' me?"

He sighed. "You are quite intuitive… You're right. I'm sorry." His voice softened once more.

Immediately, I felt terrible again. This guy had just gone to great lengths to save, and then take care of me, just to have me contradict him on his actions. "No… Fawkes, I'm sorry." I quirked my mouth a bit in apology. "Thank you for helping me."

Fawkes expression lifted a bit. "You are quite welcome my friend."

I turned for the door once more. "Alright. Let's get back to it then." We left in silence, leaving me to my thoughts. I had a companion now; I wouldn't be as alone as I thought I'd be.

And with that I walked out into the sunlight, feeling a little bit better since watching my dad die in project purity.

**...**

**AN: Short chapter is short. But I promise the next few will make up for it... I hope. x.x**

**Anyway, I'm working on the next one as this one uploads. I hope to have it up by tommorow. I can feel my creative juices flowing.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Alright, I suppose I should do a quick overview of what I haven't done yet: I wanted to stick to the main storyline so I could get to Fawkes as soon as possible. So pretty much every side story, I haven't done yet. Fun, fun eh?**

…

"So… Where do you think I can find the family?" I asked. To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to meet these people myself. But… If they had kidnapped Ian, Lucy's little brother, then I didn't really have a choice. I had to save the kid.

Evan was more watching the ramp than me. As if he was afraid the gang would come charging up the ramp any second. From the looks of the bodies of the West family I'd be scared too… "I think they live somewhere North of Northwest of here. Problem is, they always travel at night, so I can't see exactly where they go. There's all kinds of places they could be hiding, like Hamilton's Hideaway, Moonbeam Outdoor Cinema, or Northwest Seneca Station."

I added those markers to my pip-boy map and nodded. "Alright, I'll get going now."

With that I turned and began walking away. From somewhere behind me I could hear Evan mumbling "Next time I see the Family, there's gonna be hell to pay…"

I sighed, feeling bad for the guy. I mean, he was trying to protect these people and they didn't seem too thankful for it. Where I agreed with them that they should try and stand up for themselves it was still a bit risky. Hell, I don't even know how many goons the Family has. But, regardless of all that, I still had to find Ian. Poor kid… I hope he's alright.

Glancing over the edge of a broken piece of the ramp I could just make out Fawkes on a small dock close to where I'd told him to wait. He was currently poking at the remains of a Mirelurk, probably one he'd just recently finished off. On our way here I saw exactly what he meant by being able to handle things. He was crazy good with that Gatling Laser, and whenever he got hit he looked like he barely felt it.

Eventually, he glanced up. I waved and he waved back, letting me know he saw me. I turned, ready to walk down the rest of the ramp to him, and then stopped. I peered over the side; I was indeed quite a ways off the ground, but directly under me was a decent sized lake. From my height I could just tell that it was probably deep enough to… I glanced at Fawkes again and saw that he was still watching me, probably wondering what, exactly, I was doing.

With a wicked grin I took a step back and then launched myself off the side of the ramp. I was able to see Fawkes take a step forward but then the wind around me became too much and I screwed my eyes shut. I hit the water painfully hard and lucky for me I hadn't expected the drop to be so quick so I had been in the middle of taking a breath. So I was under the water with little idea of which way was up.

I didn't have long to worry though as rough, warm, and growing familiar hands grabbed me, yanking me in what I guess was an upward direction. The moment my head surfaced my mouth gaped like a fish, taking in a large gulp of air as I felt my body being pulled. A moment later I was pulled entirely out of the water and set to my knees on the shore.

I coughed a few times, clearing my lungs of water, while a single large hand remained on my back. After my initial dizziness went away I rose to my feet and began laughing while wiping my face and eyes of the water.

Suddenly the hand that had been on my back grabbed my shoulder and spun me around sharply, and then another hand went to my other shoulder. Fawkes was in my face, holding my small frame in place. "Are you crazy!" His voice hammered around my skull a few times it was so loud. "What on earth were you attempting?"

I blinked and looked at the water, feeling the wetness soak into my skin and clothes. "I was just having a bit of fun. I misjudged the height and was breathing when I hit the water is all. No need to get so worked up." I attempted to pull away from his hold only to have him clench tighter and one hand gripped my chin and half my head, making me look at him.

He stared at me for a while, a gaze so intense I became quite nervous and gulped. And, I realized that, if he wanted to, he could at any time squish my head between his palms. His voice broke my thoughts. "You weren't trying to end your life were you?"

I flinched at the suddenness of the question and pulled with all my strength at my head. I was aware that if he didn't want to let go there was no way I'd be able to pull my face from his hold. He did, however, release my face. "Say what? Why would…" I looked back up to the ramp. "You though..?" I gave him a hard stare, mirroring his own. "Fawkes. I'm not suicidal. I just thought I'd be fun to do a little high diving. That's. All."

He continued to watch me and I kept myself still, even though I wanted nothing more than to change my clothes. The wetness was starting to irritate my skin. Finally, he let go and took a step back. "Nnh… I believe you, but please, don't do anything like that again." It wasn't hard to hear the fear that lingered in his voice.

I turned and began walking toward a small trailer to change. "Pfft, trust me Fawkes. It's gonna take a lot more than that to kill me." But no matter how snide I tried to make myself sound I couldn't help the butterflies in my stomach again.

Stupid headache…

…

I eyed the .44 magnum for a while longer. "See? Not a complete waste of time. I can keep my own magnum in pretty good condition for a while with this." I placed it in my pack next to my own and looked around once more. The small grocer had been next to the Seneca Station had little in the way of things to scavenge but I'll be damned if I don't pass up and opportunity to look for more supplies.

I nodded and with a satisfied smile I walked out with Fawkes close behind. Taking a few steps forward I had my nose to my pip-boy to mark a few things. Fawkes tapped my shoulder and I glance at him. He was, however, glaring to our left. I followed his line of sight and saw a group of three men approaching us. "Who are they?" I wondered aloud. Fawkes didn't answer me and I was too busy watching them to see my companion tense up and take a step around the corner of the grocer. Effectively hiding himself from them.

The man in front approached me with a sneer I'd only seen on pictures of lions. "Well, now… If it isn't the little saint from the vault." His voice reminded me of a Radscorpion and I felt my insides clench up. "We've been looking for you." I gulped and his frightening smile widened. "Someone's put quite a price on your head."

My brows furrowed, but not in anger. "I… I don't understand. Why would someone want me dead?" Had I done something bad?

His expression instantly turned to anger and I flinched away from him. "What? You think you can walk around the Wasteland doing the things that you do and there isn't going to be someone who takes notice?" He had raised his voice and I found myself stuttering for a response. Someone wanted me dead? For… Doing good things..? I didn't understand.

His voice brought me out of my trance. "What a shame. I hear that you could have been something useful…" His eyes traveled down my body and I had the overpowering urge to step away from him. I held my ground, however. "Ah, well… Time to die." He raised his weapon at me.

The men surrounding him all aimed at me and I raised my hands at them. "Wait! Can't we talk about this?"

The leader paused, acting like he was actually thinking about it. "No… no, I don't think so."

I opened my mouth to say more but the man started shooting at me…

For about a fraction of a second anyway. Before I even really knew what was going on I was suddenly yanked to the side, out of the line of fire. I slammed against a wall and, in a daze, watched as Fawkes opened fire on them.

I blinked and watched, dumbstruck, still trying to process everything.

It was over in less than a minute, but by that time I had slid down the wall to a sitting position and refused to look at the bodies. I heard Fawkes walk up to me, stopping a couple of feet away. Then, he lowered, balancing on the balls of his feet. He was quiet for a while. I, for one, couldn't find anything to say.

Eventually, I heard him take in a breath to say something but I interrupted him. "Sorry about that…" My voice was barely above a whisper.

"What are you apologizing for?" He sounded confused again.

I glared at my feet. "I hesitated… If you hadn't been there I'd be dead." My voice was now harsh. How could I have been so stupid? This was hardly the first time I've had to kill a person to protect myself. But before, it had only been a few raiders in the Super-duper Mart. And even then outside they had been attacking a small group of wandering ghouls.

But this?

Someone had hired those men to kill me… But why?

Glancing at the leader's body I rose to my feet, leaving Fawkes to his confusion. I lowered to his corpse's side and rummaged through his armor… Some ammo… a bottle of whiskey.. Ah! There. I pulled out the holotape and added it to my pip-boy.

The title said "Private Contract" and had my name on it, and a note as well:

_Boys and Girls, we've got_

_ourselves another_

_holier-than-thou white knight_

_that needs putting down._

_Here are the details:_

I shuttered, my name, my ethicality, how did they get this? It's not like I'd been telling everyone I'd helped my name or anything else about me. Not even where I was from. Not to mention I'd not even been many places beside a few abandoned towns and small raider encampments… I read on:

_The bounty is 1000 caps_

_this time around. And, for a_

_change of pace, they want_

_the head this time._

_Good hunting!_

My blood ran cold. I was willing to bet that whoever wanted me dead had many of these little contracts circulating through the Wastes.

I rose to my feet and looked at each of the Mercenaries and pursed my lips. Then, holding down the rising bile in my stomach I went over each one, taking their ammo, whatever food they had, and their combined armor. Sitting down I patched on suit with the other two and stepped around a bus station board to change.

After all that was done I turned to Fawkes and glanced at my pip-boy. "Evan said he thought the Family were somewhere North or Northwest. So let's go ahead and try this station first."

Without waiting for a response I walked down the steps to the chain gate, completely unaware of the intense gaze Fawkes was giving my back.

…

**AN: WHOO! Sooner than I originally thought. I'm in one of my Fallout curves again it would seem. Let's see how far I can get this time.**

**And, yes, I realize I'm lacking in the romance department but true love doesn't just spawn. It takes time. So… Just stick with me kiddies.**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I didn't even think the way I wrote this would confuse anyone. My bad.**

**To clarify things: You know how in the middle of a quest you can just leave and do something else? Well I tried to recreate something like that. The ability to jump around at will, jump between missions and all that. Sorry for confusing people. x.x**

…

I clutched the small magnum closely to my chest, feeling my heart beat on my palm. Upon, entering the station we'd found a body. A dead Wastelander, but this man didn't have the same wounds as the Wests did. I wasn't about to let my guard down.

No sooner had I checked the man for caps had a couple of pings showed up on my radar. Stress levels and brain waves indicated they were friendly, but I'd already witnessed how quickly that could change in a person. So being cautious, I walked to the single door and reached for the handle-

Only to have someone open it from the other side. Sadly, as girly as I was I actually almost shrieked at the suddenness, but bit my tongue to hold it back.

A ghoul wearing glasses stared at me then in a lowered voice asked. "You're … You're not here to steal my secrets are you..?"

I blinked; my insane curiosity always getting the better of me once again rose up. "What secrets?"

"The secret of making Ultrajet, obviously." Well, excuse me for not being a mind reader… Instantly, he looked angry… Well more flustered really. "Oh, damnit, now the cat's out of the bag. Typical me."

I tilted my head the side, a small smile playing at my lips at his silliness. "Ultrajet? That some sort of super chem?" I found myself still overly curious.

He glanced at me again, the look making me think of some kind of shy kid. "I suppose you could call it that. Ultrajet is almost double the potency of Jet… Perfect for Ghouls. Jet barely affects us you see." He sighed. "Only problem is it's almost impossible to gather the ingredients together." Suddenly his eyes widened and he smiled. "Say, you could help me with that."

I smiled in return, always happy to help. "Sure! What do you need?"

"It takes three things to make Ultrajet." He went right to business. "Two of the ingredients I got plenty of. The other one is a little harder to find: Sugar Bombs." I giggled and he narrowed his eyes a bit. I pursed my lips together and he slowly continued. "I distill it down to its base contents, and add that to the formula and presto… Ultrajet." He folded his arms behind him, looking all business like. "For every box of Sugar Bombs you bring me I'll pay you 15 caps. So you in?"

I considered for a while. Making him sweat. He even started to fidget a little. "Make it 30 caps and we've got a deal." I winked at him.

Hey, I may be nice but even I like caps.

"Fine, anything you want. Now scram. I've got preparing to do. Name's Murphy by the way." With that, he began walking away.

"Wait! I need to ask something." I blurted.

"What do you want?" He seemed a bit more than agitated at being interrupted.

"Have you ever heard of the Family?" I kept my voice somewhat even, in case he was working for them or something.

"Sure. I stay away from them and they don't bother me. It's a good relationship. They live somewhere east of here." I started looking at my pip-boy to see what was east when he spoke again. "If you're feeling foolish, I think there's an underground way through their place deeper into the metro station here."

I smiled again. "Thanks." I glanced next to me where Fawkes was waiting out of the ghoul's line of sight. "What luck. They're actually close. Let's go." I pushed past Murphy with Fawkes close behind.

I watched both Ghouls from the corner of my eye as they watched Fawkes follow me. Murphy watched us for a while as I looked through some of the junk he didn't want. "Super Mutant and a human huh? Now I've seen everything…" He whispered.

When I was finally finished I went for the door that would lead me to the family. A voice from behind the desk made me stop though. "Goddamn, are you one ugly son-of-a-bitch!"

My first reaction was to turn to him and ask him if he'd looked in a mirror lately, he was hardly in a place to insult a Super Mutant. But when I turned to the assistant I saw he was looking directly at me.

I blinked. I'd never been called ugly before, certainly not by a ghoul. I simply rolled my eyes and continued on.

But I, once again, missed Fawkes giving Barrett a look that could light fires…

…

I rubbed the side of my face, sniffling a bit. Fawkes, who was seated leaning against the wall opposite of me was watching the ground a few feet away from me in anger. I wiped a few more tears from my face and said, "Ithhss okayh Fawthss." Ugh I hate how I sounded. Stupid baseball hitting me in the face, my right cheek and a bit of my lip to be exact.

I considered myself more than adequately skilled at disarming traps but I had sadly missed one while we were traversing the metro tunnel, I hadn't even noticed the damn pitching machine hidden between a train car and the broken wall. Or the stupid tripwire that activated it. However, the thing had only enough time to smash my face with one ball as Fawkes wrapped his arms around me and spun me around so the baseballs hit his back instead. If I hadn't been crying like a baby I might have realized that my stomach was being assaulted by the same silly feeling of those butterflies...

But no. Here I was crying like a 10 year old in front of him. Jeez, he was probably rethinking traveling with a wimp like me. "I do have a question though…" His low grumble of a voice brought be out of my little world. He was looking at me now, sympathy clear on his face. "How does someone like you, one who gets shot by people and blown up by grenades, be reduced to tears by a baseball to the face?"

If my face wasn't so swollen and already heated as it was I might've blushed in embarrassment. He was right though; why was I crying like this? I continued to hold my cheek in my hand. "Bacth when I wasssh thhen I got puncssheth in the faccss for not givving a swet roool to a jech nnnmed Bussh(Back when I was ten I got punched in the face for not giving a sweet roll to a jerk named Butch). I wanted to tell more. Like how I had actually spit on the roll when Butch demanded that he had it, but it was so hard to talk as it was. It'd be a miracle if Fawkes even understood me.

But even so it still didn't explain why I was crying so- "Ah, I understand." Fawkes said in a thoughtful voice. I watched him in confusion. "You must be feeling the same pain. Ergo, you're crying like you did when you were ten." That made sense? He leaned his head back. "The mind is an amazing thing…"

Despite being able to actually tell, his comment made me smile. "Yesh, yerr righ…" I leaned against the wall, closing my eyes to try and calm my raging nerves.

The ones pulsing pain in my cheek anyway.

…

It felt weird being home after being away for so long. Sure, the house Megaton had given me was a bit run-down, but it was my house and I intended to make the best of it. To be honest, however, the really weird part was having a guest in it with me now.

I glanced over the newly acquired Shishkabob schematics to see Fawkes still awkwardly looking around the room… The room that he, himself, took up half the space it provided. He seemed so out of place and, from the look on his face, he felt that way as well. I gave him a lopsided grin and layed the plans on my desk. "Fawkes, you don't have to be so tense."

His eyes shifted to me then back to the wall he'd been staring holes into. "Aren't you bothered by it?" He asked randomly.

"By what?" I was a bit confused. Was he referring to my bruised cheek? It only really hurt if I yawned or touched it roughly. It had certainly drawn Vance's eye when I spoke to him…

Fawkes eyes narrowed. "The man in the trench coat; what were you two talking about?"

Oh… That… I glanced at the desk again. Upon arrival to Megaton I had to talk to Lucas about having Fawkes stay with me. Needless to say it hadn't exactly gone well. He was a little more than against the idea of having a super mutant in town. However, after a little pushing and me bringing up the fact that I saved his little town from destruction, Simms agreed. But Fawkes had to remain at my side at all times.

I turned back to the plans. "Just finalizing a few living arrangements."

Before I could delve deeper Fawkes spoke up again. "He doesn't want me here. No one does."

It was my turn to interrupt him. "I do." With my back to him I couldn't see the look he was giving me. "Everyone here owes me their lives. I'd like to see someone try and say you can't stay here with me."

As I read on, wondering how I was going to get my hands on gasoline, Fawkes continued to stare at my back. After a long moment of silence he spoke up again. "Thank you, my friend." His voice was soft, so unlike him.

I looked away from the schematics toward him and found he was looking at me with intensity. I didn't know what to make of his look. It was hard to read the emotions there… So as to save myself from awkwardness I rose from the desk. "I think we've had enough of an adventure for today, don't you agree?" Before he could answer I spoke again. "I'm gonna change real quick; go ahead and sit on the bed, make yourself at home.

As I stepped into the other room for some privacy I could hear the bed in the other room creaking with Fawkes weight.

I didn't realize I had a problem until I looked down at myself in the tiny pink dress. I was quite exposed and now I had someone I'd be exposed to… If there was ever a time to find out if I could trust him now would be it I suppose… Rack this one up on my list of stupidest ideas ever.

Taking a deep breath I calmly walked out of the room to rejoin Fawkes. I peeked around the corner to see him glancing down at the bed skeptically. So being quiet I shifted fully into the room and softly cleared my throat.

His head swiveled up to me and his look of discomfort disappeared and a far off look entered his eyes and they began to travel. I felt that all too familiar blush creep into my cheeks again and I turned away. "I… I usually just sleep in my armor but when I'm home I like to relax…" I was very aware that my tiny frame was probably less than appealing. Shoulders too thin; chest too small, I was hardly ma-

"You're quite stunning." Fawkes deep growl of a voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I stared at him. At his current position we were head level and his eyes had stopped traveling and gazed into my own. I hadn't noticed until now how green his eyes were. Even in the dim light their brilliance seemed to pull me in…

It wasn't until I felt warmth on my arm that I snapped out of my trance and realized that I had actually walked up to him and there was only about a foot of space between our faces and my knees were between his.

My face flared crimson and I took a step back, pulling my arm out of his hold in the process. I turned back toward the desk and took my Pipboy off my arm. "Uh- Let's listen to some music to relax." I blurted.

Before he could say anything I switched the radio on and immediately noticed there was another frequency. I flipped it on, unable to hold back my curiosity.

The robotic voice that greeted me was shocking to say the least. "_This is an automated distress message from vault tech. vault 101._" My insides twisted. "_Message begins._"

So trying to relax that evening was going to be harder than I thought.

"It feels like you left home a long time ago, but I know you're still out there…"

Fawkes was still on the bed, now watching me closely.

"Things got worse here after you left…"

I wanted nothing more than to turn of the emergency frequency and throw my pip-boy against a wall. Amata's voice made me want to cry, break things, break people, or maybe a mix of all three. Home… She called the vault home… and it made my heart ache.

"If you're hearing this and still care enough to help me you should remember it."

"_Message repeat._ _This is an automated dis-_"

Glaring holes into the wall on the other side of my desk I turned off my pip-boy's radio. Then, abruptly shoved it into a drawer in the desk. I stood and stomped down the stairs, almost sending Wadsworth tumbling down the stairs. I was faintly aware that Fawkes was following after me. I kicked the door to my house outward with my, still on, leather boots and looked out over the town. I was very aware that I was wearing a little pink slip out in public but again it barely even crossed my mind.

Placing my hands on the rails I closed my eyes, trying to seek comfort from the wind. It blew the hair out of my face and it tickled the back of my neck. I couldn't remember a time when I had been outside with my hair down. Being so used to keeping its long strands pulled back in a bun type thing. The same as Amata actually… Had been since we started school. My arm felt weird as well. I'd never slept in my pip-boy but it sure felt weird being out in the open without it. I sighed as Fawkes gently closed the door behind him, then standing next to me, the tips of his fingers touching the railing as well.

We were quiet for a long while. An hour, two hours, simply 5 minutes, I couldn't really tell anymore. Time wasn't exactly something I really paid attention to anymore anyway. But he was the first to break the silence. "I take it you know the sender of that message?"

That certainly went without saying but I might as well tell him the story. "Her name's Amata. We grew up in the vault together. Her dad was the Overseer so naturally, she got bullied by a lot of the others. I'd always help her cause she was the only real friend I had there." I beat my clenched fist against the railing softly. "When my father left the vault she came to warn me that her dad was looking for me, I now realize that they would have killed me if Amata hadn't warned me."

I stared up at the sky as the moon rose above our heads. I had been called a goody-two-shoes by more than a few people on my travels; maybe they were right. Even now, after her harsh words, I felt the over powering urge to go back and see what was wrong.

I didn't belong there anymore… That's what she had said to me… It hurt still to think about it, the vault had always been my home. Had been all I ever knew. Born in the vault; die in the vault.

Ha! Had I been so fucking lucky…

I took a deep breath and finally released my death grip on the railing in front of me. I was aware that I still needed to talk to Elder Lyons about the events that occurred in Raven Rock. Obviously, there were still enclave soldiers wandering the wastes…

Letting out a massive sigh I slumped. "Come one Fawkes. Let's get some sleep; we've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow…"

Gently opening the door, aware that it creaked a bit louder than usual, I stepped back into my house with Fawkes in tow.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: ACK! It's so hard to play and write at the same time. When I get into the game I sometimes forget to write and when I get too far ahead I have to write a shit ton to catch up with myself. It's so hard to put down the controller though. Dx**

**Another thing: I'm aware this isn't exactly how people act in the game but I'll be changing their character around for the sake of story progression and my enjoyment. Deal with it. :P**

…

I stared at the run down wooden door with a somewhat empty feeling. The wind blew dust in my face and blew the loose clothing about my body as I blinked behind my goggles.

Fawkes came up directly behind me, shielding me from a little bit of the wind. "Shall we venture in?" He asked.

No. "Yeah…" I took a few timid steps forward and let my hand rest on what was left of the handle, from there I didn't move otherwise.

"Are you sure you wish to do this?" His gravelly voice asked from behind me.

No. "Yes, I… I need to help them. If the Overseer is even crazier than when I last saw him, then these people really need our help."

Without further delay I pulled the door open and walked into the cave. However as I got only a few steps toward the large steel door that read "101" I stopped again and turned to Fawkes. "Something the matter?" He asked.

Every part of me wanted to just turn around and forget I even heard the message… For reasons that surprised myself even now. "Fawkes..?" I paused trying to figure out how I wanted to word this. He watched me with eyes that felt like they could look right into my soul. How could someone so mutated still have eyes that transfixing? They were neon green for Christ's sake.

I exhaled and looked away from him. "Maybe you should stay out here." I didn't wait for him to reply. "These people have never seen the outside world before. If things are in chaos in there, seeing you might make them freak out more." I turned to him again, pleading in my eyes. "Don't misunderstand me, I would rather have you go with me but I just don't want to make things worse than I already might have."

It felt wrong of me to ask that, but what little common sense I had left told me this was the best thing to do right now. I continued to twiddle with my fingers as Fawkes continued to stare at me, making me feel even guiltier.

When I was about to break and say something I felt those large, familiarly warm, fingers touch the bottom of my chin and lift my head until I was looking him in the eye again. The closeness put my nerves on end again and I felt all my muscles tense up. "My friend, I trust your decision." My eyes shifted to the door. "But, please," His voice took on a softness that had my eyes going back to his. Just in time for me to watch him lower his face closer to my own. Close enough for me to feel the warmth of his breath brush my face as he spoke. "Be careful. It would kill me to find out if something happened to you and I couldn't do anything to help you."

My insides twisted up and my face grew warmer at his words. So much so that I pulled away from him and walked up to the door controls, leaving my back to him. "I'll… Be going now." I punched in Amata's name for the password.

"I'll be waiting here for your return." His voice still had that softness that he saved only for me it seemed.

I gulped and waited as the door took its time opening. Once it was, however, I wasted no time in putting a little space between us, and hopefully, my confusing feelings.

…

It was a good thing I had left the vault door open when I first came in. If I had to wait for that damn thing to open itself again I might've shot something in my rising frustration.

Like the good companion he was, Fawkes had been waiting for me only a few feet from where I had first left him. Though I gave him little greeting as I brushed past him to the door. Hearing his quick, heavy, footsteps follow after me calmed me… For a second anyway.

The heavy door to the vault nosily slid closed behind me, setting my already raging nerves to a boil. Kicking the wooden door open I stomped by it, only to stop a few yards from what remained of the door, fuming.

Try as I might I simply couldn't stop the tears from stinging the sides of my eyes and eventually falling down my cheeks. Fawkes came up beside me and I turned my face away from him. I cursed my stupid emotions as my shoulders lightly shook with my crying.

As expected, he got directly in front of me and took hold of my shoulders and got to his knees in front of me, putting his head level just below my own. I turned away from him as much as I could but was aware that he could still see my tears. Scrunching up my face I tried my best not to let a sound escape my lips.

After a long moment of us locked in that position he finally asked, "What happened in there Mina?"

I paused and felt my face relax as I glanced at him. I hadn't been aware that he even knew my name… The realization calmed me enough to somewhat explain what went on in the vault. "Amata kicked me out… Again." I said the last part with acid. I looked away. "I helped her, helped everyone there, I even spared her oh-so loving father again…" I paused to wipe some tears from my face. "And she kicked me out again."

Though… That wasn't all that was bothering me…

~Flashback~

_I still held what she said in my mind. It was more than obvious that Amata was prepared to have her own father killed if that's what it took to save everyone. It was a tough choice; one I respected her for making. _

_I nodded at Stanley as I passed him in the Atrium. Then I glanced up and saw that the Overseer was watching me from his office window. He was waiting for me. I certainly had a lot to tell him. I was willing to bet he'd be a little more than upset if he found out his little lackeys were planning on attacking the remaining rebels with live ammunition. _

_Opening the door that would eventually lead me to his office I saw someone in a security suit running up to me. I hadn't exactly run into anyone hostile yet so I didn't bother drawing my weapon._

_As he came up to me I realized I remembered him. Wilkins was his name. I also remembered that he didn't exactly like me. _

_He got in my face instantly and I put my best sneer on. "Don't think I didn't see you."_

_Okay now I was confused, but if there was one thing I learned from the Wastes it was that one should always play the tough card. So keeping my dirty look on I asked. "What are you going on about?"_

_His glare got even darker and I almost backed away from him. "Don't play coy with me  
_Princess_. I saw you and that…. That THING, cuddling outside the vault."_

_My blood ran cold. Fuck… He must have some kind of camera watching the vault door. I closed my eyes and brushed past him. "That's none of your business, Wilkins"_

_Before I could take another step, however, he grabbed my arm, hard enough to leave bruises, and yanked me backwards, slamming me into a wall. He placed his arms on either side of my head, locking me in place. "Like hell it isn't, _Princess_." He hissed the word again. "As chief of security I'm in charge of the safety of this vault. And you've brought a monster back with you to kill us all!"_

_His breath was hot on my face as he put his far too close to my own for comfort. I turned my face away from his. "Get off of me Wilkins! He's still outside. He hasn't hurt anyone and I didn't even bring him into the vault."_

_Suddenly, he grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him. The look in his eye reminded me of a wild animal, ready to attack. He squeezed my face, pressing harshly against my bruised cheek causing me to whimper. An evil smile appeared on his face at the small noise that escaped. He turned my head a bit so he could see the discolored spot on my face. "I bet that thing did this to you. Like it rough, eh Princess?"_

_Before I could grace that with an answer/insult he pulled my face to his and pressed our lips together. The suddenness of it caused me to momentarily lose myself and not do anything. However, as he forced his tongue past my lips, I regained my senses and bit down on the offending appendage, hard. With a yelp he pulled away from me and I used his momentum to push him further away._

_He seemed caught off guard as he stumbled back a bit. He regained his balance in time to watch me wipe away his saliva from my lips with a disgusted look. Wilkins wiped his own lips and returned my look with vigor. "You never should have left kid. Now, I'll make sure no one ever leaves again!"_

_And without further delay he began shooting at me._

~End Flashback~

Taking a some-what calming breath I wiped my face with the back of my hand. I wasn't about to tell Fawkes about the encounter. He already saw me as weak and unable to protect myself. The one time I tell him to wait that happened to me.

I wouldn't even be upset right now if Amata hadn't been so cruel to me once again. I decided to just go with that to explain my tears. "I saved them all and they still hate me…" I glanced at him with my eyes still shining from the crying. "Will it always be like this? No matter how good I am, will I always be hated for what I do?" Of course, saying that just made me think of Talon.

He actually took pause to consider an answer. Maybe it was my silly little hope that there was something good that had me waiting for him to give me an answer. However, he gave a slightly defeated sigh and rose to his feet but kept his hands on my shoulders. "I don't know, my friend. Only time will tell."

I sighed and pulled myself out of Fawkes hold. "Let's just… go home." I said softly. We can decide what to do from there.

Walking down the hill that lead back to Megaton, I pulled my arms close to my chest and lightly rubbed my arms. Fawkes walked next to me shortly after and put his hand around my back and let it rest on my opposite shoulder and arm.

If I had even the slightest inkling that I still had control of what was left of my little world, Fawkes had just taken it away from me in a simple second. Glancing to the side and up at his face I saw that he was simply watching the view in front of him as he continued walking toward town.

I let my eyes fall to the path before my feet and watched it intently. Fawkes sure had gotten comfortable with touching me apparently… The real question though was whether or not I really hated it. Okay, so I couldn't even pretend to lie to myself; I didn't hate how he touched me. It felt nice and he was probably the only man I'd ever met that I wouldn't instantly threaten for doing so.

So I didn't hate it. That was hardly the only problem. We were fighting for our lives daily, in no position to even attempt a relationship… Not to mention our… Differences…

With these thoughts running rampant through my mind I failed to even notice that I had leaned into his side.

…

I thudded my fingers on the desk repeatedly as I stared over the Wasteland on my Pipboy. "I really shouldn't be shirking my responsibilities…"

I had hoped that a good night's rest after the events that took place in the vault the night before I would feel better. Where the rest had helped I had been plagued with nightmares about not being wanted by anyone. This, of course, was ridiculous seeing how no one out here really cared about anyone but themselves.

Even before that, when I had put on my night gown before bed, Fawkes had seen the bruising Wilkins had left on my arm. I'd been right about the amount of force he had held me with. It took forever to convince him that I had simply fallen against a medical tool. I was pretty certain he hadn't exactly bought the story but he left me alone nonetheless.

Fawkes, who was currently resting on the bed at my side, said. "Indeed, you are quite the responsible young lady."

I huffed. He was talking down to me. Really, he was just trying to let me sort things out for myself but show that he was still listening to me. "I need to report to the Elder about Raven Rock…" mumbled looking at the Citadel's location on the map.

He nodded yet again, "I believe you've mentioned something like that before." Yeah, only a thousand times. I probably sounded like a broken record to the guy.

It felt like I was shirking something important. Eden had asked me to poison the Wastes water supply. I'm pretty sure that was something that needed to be shared with the Elders… "But so much has happened to me lately…" I continued out loud. "I've been doing so much for others I barely have time to just go out and try to explore the world."

"You do work very hard trying to help everyone in need." His collected voice chimed in again.

I let my clenched fist fall to the desk and turned to him with a half-hearted glare. "Fawkes, you are so not helping. I need to know what to do."

He tilted his head at me and said, simply, "You should do what you want to do."

I frazzled my hair and groaned. "That doesn't tell me what to do!" Feeling frustrated I took my Pipboy and slapped it on my wrist. "Alright, first spot I see on the map is where we go." I declared.

…

That brilliant idea lead me to GNR radio plaza. What felt like eons ago, I remembered Moriarty talking about how 3-dog might've known the location of my dad. Not that that information would do me any good now but maybe he did remembered my dad, or at least would help me out somehow. It was worth a shot in my eyes anyway.

The only problem was trying to get through the mutant infested DC. I'll admit, now that I had Fawkes at my side I wasn't really too scared of the idea…

Okay, so I was still a little scared. I couldn't help it; Super Mutants were the one things I feared the most out here. Sure, Deathclaw's were pretty scary too, but they simply kill whatever they come in contact with. Super Mutants, on the other hand, took prisoners.

I'd heard the stories, I've seen the messes they leave behind, seen the nets full of human remains strung in the air like some kind of trophy. I even came across a small encampment of Super Mutants that had recently captured a roaming Wastelander. I tried to save the poor girl but, while I was stuck fighting a pack of Centaurs, they escaped before I could get to where they were keeping her. I ended up following them for days before I caught up to them. But… What I found still haunts my nightmares today.

They had torn the girl to pieces, not just dismemberment, her blood, and other inside parts, painted the walls of the tiny tent. If the sight wasn't enough to send me into vomiting fits the smell sure did.

It took me days to get the gruesome sight out of my immediate thoughts and even after that I still found myself blaming myself for being too late to save her. Yeah, Super Mutants were defiantly things I feared the most in this world.

So one would think I'd stay close to Fawkes while traversing the remains of DC… In my defense I tried but I just lost track of him in the big firefight we got locked in when we exited the Metro tunnel to Chevy Chase. He told me to hide behind a bench cover while he cleared out a few. I listened to him but soon realized there were far more Mutants than he and I predicted there would be.

At first, it looked like they were just trying to surround me to take me out as quickly as they could. I had to leave my hiding spot once I realized there were 6 or so trying to block me in. I had no choice but to run for a new hiding spot, I didn't stand a chance against 6.

In my blind dash I didn't even keep track of which way I went, or even notice I could no longer hear Fawkes Gatling Laser. Not even faintly. When I did take notice I realized how screwed I was until I realized I couldn't really hear anything.

I could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest as I panted. It was then that I wished I'd brought more than just a Chinese Assault Rifle and a Shishkabob. Peeking around the corner of the bus I was hiding behind I scanned the area I could see with frantic eyes. I couldn't remember a time I had been separated from Fawkes and now I was, not only alone, but alone with Super Mutants no doubt chasing me.

A sound from behind another bus a few yards away from me drew my attention back to my front. I instantly drew my Rifle and aimed it at the front of the bus, ready at any time to open fire. Nothing happened for the longest time; maybe it was Fawkes..? He always had that uncanny ability of finding me when we got even a little separated. I dared not call out though; my fear both paralyzed and silenced me.

I instantly froze up when I saw a large green body round the corner of the other bus… but I knew right away that it wasn't Fawkes. When I realized I was in trouble I attempted to run the other direction but as I took my first step another Super Mutant sporting a Super Sledge stepped around the corner of the bus I was hiding behind. Jolting to a stop I tried to run the other way, hoping I could slip past the first Mutant before he could really hurt me. To my dismay, however, another Mutant came from the other corner of my bus as well.

I backed up against the middle of my bus and looked around franticly as two more Mutants appeared to my left and a few looked down at me from the tops of the busses. With what little courage I had left I raised my weapon and pointed to the Master that had first rounded the other bus. I knew my face gave away how scared I was though.

The five on the ground surrounded me in a ring but to my utter shock, they didn't attack me. "Drop your weapon, Human." The Master actually spoke to me.

I stared up at him in obvious fear, eyes wide and watching for any kind of hostile movement. He repeated himself, only this time louder, "Drop it!" The weapon clattered from my hands and I drew my arms close to me. The Master jerked his head at me and spoke to the Brute to his right. "Remove her other armament."

With an animalistic look that seemed all too familiar, the Brute waltzed up to me and ripped the Shishkabob from my waist, taking the belt holding it in place with it. From there, he threw it to the ground, making the weapon unrepairable.

Things were turning from hopeless to dire. The worst part was that they weren't trying to kill me, and I knew what that meant. My heart rate picked up and I felt blood rushing to my head trying to kick me into fight or flight mode.

The regular to the Masters left, the one in the middle of the group surrounding me, spoke up, breaking my concentration. "This the one?"

The one..? Were they looking for me?

"Yes." The Master answered. "I saw her leave the tunnel with The Traitor. And now, we have her. The Traitor will come running."

Oh God… They didn't mean Fawkes did they? How did they even find out? I made it a point to always kill Super Mutants wherever we found them. Who could've told them? I was beyond scared at this point. The only reason I wasn't sobbing was that I had to focus all my energy on not hyperventilating.

The Brute on the far left spoke this time. "The Traitor is strong; will we be able to bring him down?"

The Master shot him a glare, taking his eyes off me for what appeared to be the first time since he rounded the corner of the other bus. "You doubt my strength?" He showed how angry he was by pointing his own gun at the Brute.

The Brute turned his head away, looking almost fearful. With that done The Master looked at me once more with that same look that made me wish I was back in the vault with Wilkins. "Bind her. We're leaving."

The Brute to his right took some kind of rope from his hip and unceremoniously turned me until I was facing the bus and pressed me against the hard metal. Then twisted my arms behind my back and tied them together at the forearms. From there he wrapped the remaining few feet around my body, securing my arms completely to my body.

"Hurry, we must go before The Traitor knows what we did." At the Masters words our group took off in god knows what direction… And I could only guess at what they were going to do to me once we got there.

The Brute that tied me seemed to be the once in charge of me at the moment. He had the end of the rope around his hand and lifted me with what seemed eased when the ground was a bit too rough for me to get over quickly. At the speed we were traveling, he had to lift me often to stop my stumbling.

Eventually, I regained enough sense to try and call for help. "FAWKES!" I cried out. The Brute was having none of that though as he pulled me to his chest and placed his free hand over most of my face, effectively silencing me and cutting off my eyesight. It was very difficult to tell which way I was going from there.

I gave up trying to fight my way out of his hold. I stood no chance against the mutant's strength. I, instead, tried to figure out how I was going to get out of this mess… And I had to consider the possibility that Fawkes might not be able to save-

My thoughts ended when I was suddenly tossed from the Brute's hold as I slammed into something very hard and my world went black.

…

**AN: I know, I know, this whole chapter was pretty rushed but I have a good reason. I won't bother going into detail because I'm pretty sure people get tired of me whining. **

**On another note: I'm not sure I really like where this story is going right now. Oh, well guess I'll just have to wait and see. :/**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Lol I am mean aren't I? Cliffhangers are just too fun sometimes.**

**Keeps ya interested though. ;)**

…

Coming back to conciseness was certainly an odd experience. The first thing I became aware of was that I couldn't quite move my arms, or really feel them. The second thing I noticed was that I was being propped up against something mildly warm that… Wait, the warm thing moved…

"Don't move." It whispered to me.

I considered trying to get up but I realized there were other voices a bit further away that were talking, so I decided to listen to those instead.

"You just lucky the female wasn't too damaged!" Okay, so it sounded more like yelling.

"Was accident!" Another voice retaliated. "I tripped and she fell from my hands."

They sounded like Super Mutants… And they were nearby, I had to get to a better hiding spot but it was just too hard to get my eyes to focus.

"You whine like a human. Just get back to work; we need to be ready for when The Traitor comes to save her."

Then thudding footsteps faded away, I only had a moment to try and arrange my thoughts when I was moved around again. This time I was propped up against a flat surface and as my head bobbed upward I saw what looked like the fuzzy outline of a person.

It was time to wake up. Focusing all my attention on trying to get my brain to hold still I squinted at the mysterious person before me. My concentration was momentarily broken when the person spoke up. "Jesus, that's a lot of blood… Just hand on, I have to stop the bleeding before it gets out of hand."

I was at least able to tell that it was another woman who was talking to me. My face felt oddly sticky and I tried to reach up and wipe it away, only to feel some kind of tugging in my arms and shoulders. "Wha… What? My arms…" I somewhat managed to slur out as I tried to look around.

"Shhh," The other girl placed her hand on my forehead and pushed my head against the wall. "Try to keep still; it looks like you've lost a lot of blood. And if you can, try to keep quite. We don't want the Mutants to come back." It did sound like she was keeping her voice hushed.

I tried again, this time, keeping my voice down. "What" I swallowed and tried to get the room to hold still. "What happened?"

As my vision somewhat cleared I watched as she took the bandana from around her head and began wiping my face down. "The Mutants dragged you in a few minutes ago… I'm not completely sure but… I think they're trying to use you as bait."

The memories of what happened to me near GNR were beginning to come back. I leveled a somewhat steady gaze at her and whispered, "Bait?"

She stood up and rinsed the rag in the nearby sink. "I'm only guessing but they were awfully worried about your condition when they dumped you in here." She came back to me and continued to rub my face down. "They also kept saying something about 'The Traitor' coming to save you."

I blinked a few times as my vision finally returned to me. Looking around didn't give me much hope though. My companion and I were currently locked in a cell with who knows how many Super mutants roaming the halls around us. I groaned lightly and closed my eyes. "I need to get out of here."

The other woman sighed in exasperation. "Don't I know it. They took Shorty to the kitchen a while ago but… Well, no one comes back from the kitchen…"

I finally registered that I was still tied up and tried tugging on the restraints. All I managed to do was rub my already raw wrists, drawing a small wince from me. "Give me a hand, will ya?" I grunted to my companion. She draped the rag over the side of the sink and lowered herself to my level. After a few experimental tugs and a few escaped whimpers from me I realized she wasn't going to be able to free me.

"Damnit…" I breathed. Glancing at the other woman I tried to evaluate how well she might be able to fight. It didn't look too good. She was probably shorter than me, and that was impressive to my 5' 4" stature. "What's your name?" I questioned while still tugging at my restraints.

"Red." She murmured while standing back up and finishing rinsing out her bandana.

I eventually gave up my struggles and leaned against the wall feeling exhausted. "Do you know where we are?" I asked panting slightly. Chances were probably not but it never hurt to try right?

She sat on the bed opposite to the sink and looked at the floor. "I don't know. They kidnapped me and Shorty from Bigtown a while ago…" Her voice trailed off as she broke down and wept quietly.

So much for that not hurting… If this wasn't clue enough that she wasn't a fighter then I didn't know what could. I rested my head against the wall and peered out of our cell. Things were getting from bad to worse by the second and try as I might I couldn't think of anything that could get us out of here.

The Mutants were idiots, unless they were going to send someone to find Fawkes and tell him that they were holding me prisoner at… wherever I was, then he was never going to find me. I glared at the bars. What if they did? What if they told him where I was and he was on his way now? As much happiness at that gave me I found I was worried. If Fawkes got hurt while trying to save me I'd never forgive myself.

A little bit later I felt pretty stupid for being so worried. Fawkes was more than capable of taking down Super Mutants. I'd seen him mow down 20 or so with only a low ammo gun and a few scars and bruising from the experience.

I sighed. Putting all that aside I remembered that these were in fact Mutants. It was shocking to see them form proper sentences let alone a properly thought out plan. The probability of Fawkes showing up to save the day was slim to none. I couldn't wait for the chance that I might be rescued, I had to take charge.

I glanced back at Red and saw that she was trying to wipe her tears away and remain silent. 'First thing's first…' I crossed my legs into a more comfortable position and whispered to her. "So you're from Bigtown?" she glanced up at me with shining eyes. I continued, "I've heard of that place; where kids go once they leave Little Lamplight right?" She nodded. "You know, I've been to Little Lamplight."

Her head rose a bit. "You've been to Little Lamplight?" She seemed a bit confused. Rightly so too, adults weren't allowed in Little Lamplight.

"I had to pass through there to find something I needed. The Mayor was kind enough to let me. While I was there though, someone was having their 18th birthday. Guy named Sticky. Know him?" I asked smiling. I was aware that they knew each other. Sticky had mentioned her while trying to give me insensitive to take him to Bigtown.

She nodded. "He was… A good friend of mine when I was still in Little Lamplight." She paused, considering something. "Is he alright?" She asked softly.

A humored sound escaped my lips. "Oh, he's fine. He's still waiting for me outside Little Lamplight. I'm pretty sure he wants me to escort him. Won't admit it but I think he's too scared to go by himself."

Red let out a soft laugh and said with a smile, "Yeah that sounds like Sticky alright." We shared a brief moment of amusement but it quickly died down. "I wonder if I'll ever see him again." She wondered aloud.

I released a breath and tried to put my legs under me. "If we don't do something neither of us will see our friends again."

Her hopeless expression returned. "What can we do? Not only are we trapped in here but you're tied up. Shorty might already be dead and I'll be next-"

"Quit thinking like that." I cut her off while trying to get myself to a standing position. "I'm going to need your help if we're going to escape. Help me up." She rose to her feet and with some assistance I got to my feet. I had been right about her height. She was a good few inches shorter than me. "Alright, on my inner thigh, right leg, there's a pouch that should have a small switch blade in it. It may take a while but you might be able to cut the rope."

I hoped it was still in there anyway. God knows if those damn Mutants searched me while I was unconscious. The thought sent chills up my spine but the feeling went away quickly as I watched Red pull out the knife. "Hold still, I don't want to accidently cut you." She spoke softly.

I scooted a bit closer to the cell door to watch if any Mutants were coming as she sliced at the ropes. Now that I had looked I could see a minor was patrolling the halls right outside the cell block. When he went out of my sight I could hear him talking to someone else though I couldn't make out what they were saying. "I wonder how many mutants are out there..." I whispered aloud.

"More than I could count when they brought me in here." She whispered in response.

My head twisted back to her, eyes wide with slight shock. "Sheesh…" Maybe they were more prepared for Fawkes than I gave them credit. I chewed the inside of my lip getting a bit angry at myself. As much as the trap thing worried me I had to focus on getting Red and I out first, and if I got the chance, save Shorty. I could feel the ropes giving some slack and I glanced at her. "Do you know the fastest way out?"

She twisted a bit to get a better look at where she was cutting. "The halls were pretty confusing… I mean there's a door right around the corner of the cells there- "She tilted her head to the entrance of the cell block, "But I'm pretty sure the mutants keep it locked."

"I'll take a crack at it when we get out." I murmured. With luck it wouldn't be a highly advanced lock. I wasn't confident in my lock picking skills to even try one of those.

With one final cut I was free from the tangled mess that the super mutant had tied me up in. I rotated my shoulders and flexed my arms as blood began to circulate through them again. It made me cringe but the relief in my shoulder muscles was enough to draw a small groan from my throat. As I swung my arms around to get the blood flowing faster I turned back to Red. "Alright, first thing's first; we need to get out of here."

Her brows drew together in worry. "We're locked in."

I turned and looked at the cell door. A smile drew across my lips. "If I kicked hard enough _I _could get this door open." I walked up to it and glanced at the lock through the bars. "Though we're going to try and make our escape as quiet as we can."

With that I pulled a bobby pin out of my hair and held it between my lips. Then I reached my hand back and held it out to Red. "Knife please." I asked. I felt the wood end press against my fingers and then slipped my hand through the bars and pressed the tip of the blade against the bottom edge of the lock. Taking the bobby pin from my mouth I stuck it in the top of the lock and turned it a bit to the left. I pushed on the knife and it turned for only a moment before it caught. I bit the edge of my lip and turning the bobby pin in the other direction then tried again. It turned effortlessly and the lock gave a satisfying click.

I turned to Red with a smile as I pushed the door open. Her eyes opened a bit wider and her lips actually turned up. "Amazing.." She breathed.

I gave a sheepish grin and put the knife back in the pocket and the bobby pin back in my hair, still letting the lock of hair hang from the side of my face. I shrugged, "I got a few tricks up my sleeve." I steadied a stern look at her. "But we're not out of this yet. There's no telling what they did with my gun…" Though, now that I thought about it I could remember the one Mutant that tied me up just left my weapon on the ground. "Alright, here's the deal, and I need you to listen okay?"

She nodded and I took a short breath to gather all my thoughts. "Ideally, we want to be able to get out that door that you mentioned, but, if I can't pick the lock we're going to have to find a different way out, probably through where the Super Mutants are roaming the halls. If I can find a weapon I can use we'll still have to sneak our way to an exit. I'd prefer not to fight unless I have to. Super Mutants aren't exactly easy for me to take on alone. If I can't find a weapon we're going to have to really sneak out of here, can't be spotted or we won't stand a chance."

I paused and waited for her to nod before continuing. "Once we're out I want you to hide, wait for me to get back-"

Red cut me off, her eyes considered once again. "What do you mean? Are you going to go somewhere?"

I nodded. "I'm going to try and find Shorty. Now, if I don't come back by the time the sun sets or rises then I want you to head back to Bigtown without me."

She looked a bit angry at that. "I can't just leave you behind. You're rescuing me and going to go back for Shorty…" She looked away for a moment then back to me. "Why are you doing this for us? Is someone paying you?"

I gave her a sideways smile. "Don't know if anyone's going to pay me. As for why, I guess I really am just a Goody-two-shoe…"

She stared at me for a while longer, seeming to search for something in my eyes. I wasn't sure what she may or may not have found but she replied softly, "I wish there were more people like you around."

I laughed once. "Any more like me and I lose the market." She returned my smile and I let my own slip away. "Now, come on. We need to get moving."

…

**AN: Not a very productive chapter but I really wanted to give an update to show that I'm not giving up on any of my stories. :/ **


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